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Ezekiel, 24

1. In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

1. Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth [day] of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2. 'Son of man, write down today's date, yes, today's, for this very day the king of Babylon began his attack on Jerusalem.

2. Son of man, write thee the name of the day, [even] of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day.

3. So pronounce a parable for this tribe of rebels. Say, "The Lord Yahweh says this: Put the pot on the fire; put it on; pour the water in!

3. And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Set on a pot, set [it] on, and also pour water into it:

4. Now put the cuts of meat all in together, all the best cuts, leg and shoulder. Fill it with the best bones.

4. Gather the pieces thereof into it, [even] every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill [it] with the choice bones.

5. Take the best of the flock, then heap wood underneath; boil it thoroughly until even the bones are cooked.

5. Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, [and] make it boil well, and let them seethe the bones of it therein.

6. "For the Lord Yahweh says this: Disaster is in store for the bloody city, for that rusty cooking pot whose rust will not come off! Empty it, bit by bit, not bothering to draw lots;

6. Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum [is] therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.

7. for she is still full of bloodshed, she has put blood on the naked rock; she did not pour it on the ground so as to cover it with dust.

7. For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;

8. To make anger rise, to exact vengeance, I have put her blood on the naked rock, so that it should not be covered:

8. That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.

9. "So, the Lord Yahweh says this: Disaster is in store for the bloody city! I too plan to build a great fire.

9. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.

10. Heap on the wood, light it, cook the meat, prepare the seasoning let the bones burn!

10. Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.

11. Put the empty pot on the coals to make it hot, until the bronze glows, the filth inside melts and the rust is burnt away!

11. Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and [that] the filthiness of it may be molten in it, [that] the scum of it may be consumed.

12. "But all that rust would not come off in the fire.

12. She hath wearied [herself] with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum [shall be] in the fire.

13. Your filth is infamous. Since I have tried to purge you and you would not let yourself be purged of your filth, so now you will never be purged of your filth until I have sated my anger on you.

13. In thy filthiness [is] lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee.

14. I, Yahweh, have spoken; this will happen; I shall act and not relent; I shall show no pity, no compassion. You will be judged as your conduct and actions deserve -- declares the Lord Yahweh." '

14. I the LORD have spoken [it]: it shall come to pass, and I will do [it]; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.

15. The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

15. Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

16. 'Son of man, at a blow I am about to deprive you of the delight of your eyes. But you are not to lament, not to weep, not to let your tears run down.

16. Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.

17. Groan in silence, do not go into mourning for the dead, knot your turban round your head, put your sandals on your feet, do not cover your beard, do not eat the usual food.'

17. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not [thy] lips, and eat not the bread of men.

18. I told this to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening, and the next morning I did as I had been ordered.

18. So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.

19. The people then said to me, 'Will you not explain what meaning these actions have for us?'

19. And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these [things are] to us, that thou doest [so]?

20. I replied, 'The word of Yahweh has been addressed to me as follows,

20. Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

21. "Say to the House of Israel, the Lord Yahweh says this: I am about to profane my sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the delight of your eyes, the joy of your hearts. Your sons and daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword.

21. Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.

22. Then you will do as I have done: you will not cover your beards or eat the usual food;

22. And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover [your] lips, nor eat the bread of men.

23. you will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet; you will not lament or weep but will waste away for your crimes, groaning among yourselves.

23. And your tires [shall be] upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another.

24. Thus Ezekiel is a sign for you. You will do exactly what he has done. And when this happens, you will know that I am Lord Yahweh!"

24. Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I [am] the Lord GOD.

25. 'And, son of man, the day that I deprive them of their strength, their crowning joy, the delight of their eyes, the joy of their hearts, their sons and daughters,

25. Also, thou son of man, [shall it] not [be] in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters,

26. that day a survivor will bring you the news.

26. [That] he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause [thee] to hear [it] with [thine] ears?

27. That day your mouth will be opened to speak to the survivor; you will speak and no longer be dumb; you will be a sign for them, and they will know that I am Yahweh.'

27. In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.



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Footnotes:

24:1-2 - God commands Ezekiel to prophesy about the city of Jerusalem, which is about to be besieged and destroyed. This event marks the beginning of a period of suffering for Israel, but also of judgment on their disobedience (see also Jeremiah 34:1-7 and Revelation 18:2-10).

24:3-14 - The allegory of the cauldron and the meat is used to illustrate God's judgment on Jerusalem. The city will be purified through the fire of judgment, but the destruction will be profound and painful, demonstrating the unrelenting nature of God's wrath against sin (see also Jeremiah 7:30-34 and Revelation 20:15).

24:15-18 - The death of Ezekiel's wife is a sign to the people of Judah, symbolizing the mourning that will follow the destruction of Jerusalem. God instructs Ezekiel not to mourn, showing that pain and suffering are part of God's plan to purify His people (see also 2 Samuel 12:15-23 and Matthew 24:2).

24:19-24 - The people of Israel question Ezekiel about the meaning of their lack of lamentation, and he explains that it symbolizes the pain that will be felt by all the inhabitants of Jerusalem after its fall (see also Lamentations 1:1-2 and Luke 23:28-31).

24:25-27 - God promises to bring new hope after the judgment. He announces that the prophet will be restored as a sign to the people, and the truth will be revealed when Jerusalem falls, making it clear that judgment is not the end but part of a redemptive plan (see also Jeremiah 31:16-17 and Matthew 24:30-31).

Verses related to Ezekiel, 24:

Ezekiel chapter 24 marks the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem. How does God communicate this crucial event? This powerful text uses two parables: the boiling pot and the death of Ezekiel's wife. The chapter covers themes such as inevitable judgment, purification through suffering, and the need for total submission to God. Ezekiel 24 also highlights the prophetic role of symbolic actions. Ponder with us five biblical passages that relate to the impactful messages of this symbolic chapter.

2 Kings 25:1: "So in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. He camped in front of the city and built attack ramps around it." - This verse describes the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem, which is symbolized by the parable of the pot in Ezekiel 24.

Lamentations 4:11: "The Lord gave vent to his anger and poured out his burning indignation; He set a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations." - Lamentations describes the destruction of Jerusalem, which is prophesied in Ezekiel 24.

Jeremiah 16:5-7: "For thus says the Lord: 'Do not enter a house where there is mourning; do not cry or show sympathy, because I have withdrawn my blessing, my love and my compassion from these people,' declares the Lord. 'Both the great and the small will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned, and no one will cut their bodies or shave their heads because of them. No one will offer food to comfort those who mourn the dead; not even for the loss of father or mother will the cup of consolation be offered'." - This passage from Jeremiah has parallels with the command given to Ezekiel not to mourn the death of his wife in Ezekiel 24.

Amos 8:10: "I will turn your parties into a wake and all your songs into lamentation. I will make you all wear mourning clothes and shave your heads. I will make that day a time of mourning for an only son, and his end will be a terrible day." - Amos prophesies a time of mourning, similar to the symbolism used in Ezekiel 24.

1 Peter 4:17: "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and, if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?" - This verse reflects the theme of judgment beginning with the house of God, which is central to Ezekiel 24.

FAQ:

Why was Ezekiel instructed not to mourn the death of his wife?

God instructed Ezekiel not to mourn the death of his wife as a sign that the people of Israel would not mourn the destruction of Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 24:15-18)

What does the "cauldron" represent in Ezekiel 24?

The "cauldron" symbolizes the city of Jerusalem, which would be purified by the fire of divine judgment, where the wicked would be destroyed. (Ezekiel 24:3-5)

What is the meaning of the prophecy about the siege of Jerusalem in Ezekiel 24?

The prophecy foretells the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, marking the beginning of the destruction of the city and the temple. (Ezekiel 24:1-14)

Why does God say that the people of Israel will be punished?

God says the people will be punished for their wickedness, idolatry, and lack of repentance, despite the warnings of his prophets. (Ezekiel 24:6-13)

What does the death of Ezekiel's wife symbolize for the people of Israel?

The death of his wife symbolizes the sorrow and mourning that the people of Israel should have felt over the destruction of Jerusalem, but which they did not actually experience. (Ezekiel 24:16-18)


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